Governor Cooper Announces Policy Allowing State Employees to Use Volunteer Days to Provide Support in Schools

Press Release

Governor Roy Cooper today announced plans to help combat staff shortages in K-12 school districts across the state during the current surge of COVID-19 cases. The policy will allow state employees to use volunteer days with supervisor approval to work in North Carolina public schools as substitute teachers, bus drivers and cafeteria staff.

"It is critical that we keep children learning in the classroom safely," said Gov. Cooper. "This policy will encourage state employees to lend a helping hand to our students at a time of severe staffing challenges for our public schools."

For much of the 2021-22 school year, many school districts have experienced a greater need for substitute teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria staff and other support personnel who can fill in for employees who need to isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19.

To help combat the staff shortages, Gov. Cooper's new directive will allow state employees to use paid leave to serve as substitute staff in schools while also keeping any compensation they earn as substitutes. The State Human Resource Commission's Community Service Leave Policy states that full-time state employees are eligible for 24 hours of paid community service leave each calendar year. This leave may be used by state employees with supervisor approval and will not interfere with or delay state government operations.

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